As many as 9,781 Egyptian pilgrims chosen by lottery have arrived in the holy lands so far, Chief Executive of the Egyptian Hajj mission Sayed Maher said.

Maher, who also serves as the assistant interior minister for administrative affairs, told MENA that 6,416 Egyptian pilgrims arrived in Mecca, while 3,365 other arrived in Medina.

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar ordered officials of the Hajj mission to intensify their efforts to serve the pilgrims and ensure they are performing their Hajj rituals easily and conveniently, Maher said.

He added that the interior minister was closely following up pilgrim trips to the holy land.

Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and a religious duty that must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime